Coronations of the Diarchs
Coronation of Nicholas II, AD 1896
Following the tradition of the Byzantine Emperors, the Czar of Russia placed the crown upon his or her own head. This left no doubt that, in the Russian system, the imperial power came directly from God, in more recent times, this is simply done out of respect to long-lived traditions, as well as to cement a Diarch's status as the embodiment of Velikorossiya. The prayer of the Metropolitan, similar to that of the Patriarch of Constantinople for the Byzantine Emperor, confirmed the imperial supremacy, this is no longer done, instead, songs of praise are sung in the name of the Czars.
A few days prior to the crowning service itself, the Czar makes a processional entry into Moscow (following the abandonment of Earth, this is done in Svobodgorod), where coronations were always held (even when the capital was in St. Petersburg and later Veliky Novgorod). Following this, the Imperial regalia were brought from the Kremlin armory into the Czar's Kremlin palace, where they would accompany the new emperor on his procession to the Dormition Cathedral on the morning of his coronation. This procession commenced at the Red Porch and ended at the church doors, where the presiding prelate and other bishops blessed the Czar and his consort with holy water and offered them the Holy Cross to kiss. The Holy Cross was replaced with a ceremonial sword in PD 75.
After the Czar entered the cathedral, he and his spouse venerated the icons there and took their places on two thrones (since PD 182, next to the the Diarchs of the other House) set up in the center of the cathedral. After the sovereign had recited the Vanguard of the Free as his profession of loyalty, and after an invocation of the State and an oath, the emperor assumed the purple chlamys, and the crown was then presented to him. He took it and placed it on his head himself, while the Metropolitan recited:
"In the name of the State, the People, and the Homeland, Amen."
The Metropolitan would then make the following short address:
"Most God-fearing, absolute, and mighty Lord, Czar of All the Russias, this visible and tangible adornment of thy head is an eloquent symbol that thou, as the head of the whole Russian people, art invisibly crowned the King of kings, with a most ample blessing, seeing that He bestows upon thee entire authority over His people."
Following this, the new Czar crowned his consort, first briefly with his own crown (by touching it momentarily to her head before putting it back on his own), then with a smaller crown of her own. Further anthems and oaths are read, then the Emperor is anointed just prior to reception of People's Communion during the Imperial Oath. He was invited to enter the altar area through the Royal Doors (normally reserved solely to the Grammaton Clergy) and partake of Communion as a cleric would, in both kinds. Further prayers and blessings concluded the service, which was followed by a special feast held in the Kremlin's Palace of Facets.
A few days prior to the crowning service itself, the Czar makes a processional entry into Moscow (following the abandonment of Earth, this is done in Svobodgorod), where coronations were always held (even when the capital was in St. Petersburg and later Veliky Novgorod). Following this, the Imperial regalia were brought from the Kremlin armory into the Czar's Kremlin palace, where they would accompany the new emperor on his procession to the Dormition Cathedral on the morning of his coronation. This procession commenced at the Red Porch and ended at the church doors, where the presiding prelate and other bishops blessed the Czar and his consort with holy water and offered them the Holy Cross to kiss. The Holy Cross was replaced with a ceremonial sword in PD 75.
After the Czar entered the cathedral, he and his spouse venerated the icons there and took their places on two thrones (since PD 182, next to the the Diarchs of the other House) set up in the center of the cathedral. After the sovereign had recited the Vanguard of the Free as his profession of loyalty, and after an invocation of the State and an oath, the emperor assumed the purple chlamys, and the crown was then presented to him. He took it and placed it on his head himself, while the Metropolitan recited:
"In the name of the State, the People, and the Homeland, Amen."
The Metropolitan would then make the following short address:
"Most God-fearing, absolute, and mighty Lord, Czar of All the Russias, this visible and tangible adornment of thy head is an eloquent symbol that thou, as the head of the whole Russian people, art invisibly crowned the King of kings, with a most ample blessing, seeing that He bestows upon thee entire authority over His people."
Following this, the new Czar crowned his consort, first briefly with his own crown (by touching it momentarily to her head before putting it back on his own), then with a smaller crown of her own. Further anthems and oaths are read, then the Emperor is anointed just prior to reception of People's Communion during the Imperial Oath. He was invited to enter the altar area through the Royal Doors (normally reserved solely to the Grammaton Clergy) and partake of Communion as a cleric would, in both kinds. Further prayers and blessings concluded the service, which was followed by a special feast held in the Kremlin's Palace of Facets.